Are Local food Chains More Sustainable than Global Food Chains? Considerations for Assessment

This paper summarizes the main findings of the GLAMUR project which starts with an apparently simple question: is local€ more sustainable than global€? Sustainability assessment is framed within a post-normal science perspective, advocating the integration of public deliberation and scientific research. The assessment spans 39 local, intermediate and global supply chain case studies across different commodities and countries. Assessment criteria cover environmental, economic, social, health and ethical sustainability dimensions. A closer view of the food system demonstrates a highly dynamic local€“global continuum where actors, while adapting to a changing environment, establish multiple relations and animate several chain configurations.